No fewer than 10 persons have died of Lassa fever outbreak in seven out of the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi State this year.
The virus also affected some areas in Abakaliki, the state capital including Nkaliki and Hausa quarters.
The state disease surveillance officer, Ministry of Health, Sampson Orogwu, confirmed the outbreak of the disease.
He described Lassa fever as a hemorrhagic illness that occurs every dry season in the state.
He noted that the outbreak of the virus was different this year as it started so early.
According to Orogwu, the state recorded 53 cases last year while 36 people lost their lives, adding that from January 4 to February 16, 2024, about 25 people were infected including two healthcare workers, adding that ten deaths were recorded.
Orogwu said that the disease cut across all ages; he noted that out of the 25 confirmed cases,16 people were males while nine were females.
He disclosed that those who died of the virus this year comprised of a pregnant woman, two children, men and women.
Orogwu identified the local government areas affected as Onicha, Ikwo, Ezza North, Ebonyi, Izzi, Ohaukwu, and Abakaliki with Hausa Quarters and Nkaliki residential areas recording the highest number of cases.
“The other LGAs that have not recorded a case so far may be because they have not reported (any incident) not that the disease doesn’t exist there,” he stated.
He said that the treatment of the virus was free and urged people to go for early detection, early presentation and treatment to avoid further loss of lives.
Also, the state epidemiologist, Dr. Ogbonna Nwambeke, enumerated the efforts of the state government and those of WHO, Breakthrough Action Nigeria, and UNICEF among others to reduce the menace, and called for provision of logistics to increase surveillance and community engagement against risk factors.
Nwambeke advised people to avoid bush burning, eating rats and touching surfaces infected persons had touched. He urged the residents to maintain high level of personal and environmental hygiene like covering their food and utensils properly.
He appreciated the state government for giving them large quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for distribution to health workers at the National Obstetrics Fistula Centre to ensure that their own health workers remain alive to save others.